The present invention relates to a control system with a communication function in which a central unit communicates with a plurality of devices in order to monitor or manage their operations, and a facility control system for managing the operation of air conditioners and so on.
In a control system with a communication function, a central unit including a central monitoring and/or managing device communicates with various devices in order to monitor or manage their operations. Usually, the devices have their own identification data such as communication addresses in order to communicate with the central unit. The central unit detects a particular device on the basis of position data (e.g. a room number) of a room where the device is installed. Therefore, there should be the correspondence between the identification data and the position data of each device. Usually, the identification data and position data of the devices have been inputted in the central unit in accordance with specifications thereof.
A facility control system of the related art includes a central monitoring unit for monitoring the overall states of facilities in a building, a plurality of facility control units for managing air-conditioners, illumination equipment, disaster prevention equipment and so on in individual rooms, and a control panel used for issuing various commands. The central monitoring unit communicates with the facility control units in accordance with predetermined communication protocol, thereby controlling the devices. Each facility control unit has an output section which is connected to air-conditioners, illumination equipment, disaster prevention equipment and so on, and has an input section which is connected to devices such as room temperature sensors. The facility control units control the operation of the devices connected to the output section on the basis of signals inputted by the input devices and the control panel.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 11-281132 describes the centralized processing type control system, in which the facility control unit stores a plurality of different communication control programs in order to be compatible with devices of various manufacturers.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 11-312194 discloses the centralized processing type control system, in which the facility management units observe managing states of a building using a general browser program of existing general-purpose computers operated in a LAN, and can easily update data concerning installed positions of various devices or add data concerning added functions.
Recently, a decentralized processing type control system is being used in place of the foregoing centralized processing type control systems. Specifically, the decentralized control system uses standardized network protocol in order to be compatible with various devices and various kinds of software, and has been employed by a number of users. This is effective in reducing a system cost.
However, the foregoing control systems with the communication function are remote from devices to be monitored and managed, so that it is very difficult to check whether or not received identification data and position data correctly correspond to one another. Further, it is difficult to update the correspondence between the identification data and position data when devices are added, removed or changed.
With the foregoing centralized processing type control systems, devices are managed under communication control peculiar to them. Therefore, it is not possible to select devices as desired, to restructure or to renew the control system. Although the decentralized type control system such as Lon Works is advantageous in view of simplified installation work and reduced cost, it is mainly intended for use with automated conveying systems in large industrial works, but has not been applied to facility control systems in buildings or the like. In other words, convenient techniques have not been proposed up to now with respect to actual installation methods and operation of the facility control systems.
Further, the foregoing facility control systems have the predetermined connections between input and output terminals in the input and output sections and various equipments to be managed. It is not possible to freely connect devices to the input and output terminals. As a result, it is very difficult to add, remove or remodel devices, and it is expensive to reconstruct the facility control systems.
Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to provide a control system with a communication function which can automatically and reliably establish the correspondence between identification data and position data of individual devices, and automatically update the foregoing correspondence at the time of addition, removal or change of the devices.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a control system with a communication function which can automatically and reliably make the correspondence between identification data and position data of individual devices, and automatically update the correspondence at the time of addition, removal or model change of the devices, and in which a central control unit can gain access to devices only on the basis of the position data in accordance with application software.
A third object of the invention is to provide a facility control system which is compatible with not only existing centralized processing type control systems but also decentralized processing type control systems using standardized network protocol.
A fourth object of the invention is to provide a facility control system which is compatible with existing centralized and decentralized processing type control systems, and can take energy saving measures by automatically air-conditioning rooms only when they are occupied, for example.
It is a fifth object of the invention to provide a facility control system which is compatible with existing centralized and decentralized processing type control systems, and can blow sterile air when an air-conditioner is working in a blow mode.
It is a sixth object of the invention to provide a facility control system which is compatible with existing central processing type and decentralized type control systems, and can automatically ventilate rooms.
A final object of the invention is to provide a facility control system which allows addition, removal or remodeling of devices connected to a general output section, and can reduce renewal cost.
There is provided a control system with a communication function wherein: a central unit communicates with a plurality of devices, monitors and manages the operations of the devices; each of the devices includes an input unit for entering position data thereof; and the central unit receives the position data and identification data of each device, and includes a unit for making the identification data correspond to the position data for each device. According to the invention, it is possible to automatically and correctly correlate the identification data and position data of respective devices. Further, even when devices are added, removed or changed, the identification data and position data can be automatically and correctly correlated only by inputting only the position data.
In the foregoing control system, the central unit further includes a converter for converting the position data into the identification data on the basis of the correspondence between the position data and the identification data, and gains access to the device in accordance with the identification data. It is possible to automatically and correctly correlate the identification data and position data of respective devices. Further, even when devices are added, removed or changed, the identification data and position data can be automatically and correctly correlated only by inputting only the position data. The central unit can gain access to the devices using an application program.
Further, there is provided a facility control system comprising: a plurality of facility control units for controlling the operations of devices; a plurality of communication units detachably provided for the devices; and a central unit for controlling the operations of the devices via the communication units, wherein the facility control units directly control devices when no communication unit is provided, and control devices under control of the central unit via the communication units when communication units are provided. The facility control system is compatible with an existing centralized processing type control system but also with an existing decentralized processing type control system using standardized communication protocol.
With the foregoing facility control system, each facility control unit automatically controls the operation of an air-conditioner in each room in response to a signal from an occupancy sensor. The facility control system is compatible with the centralized and decentralized processing type control systems. It is possible to automatically air-condition an occupied room or operate an air-conditioner in an energy saving mode.
The facility control unit activates a sterilizing lamp for sterilizing air during a blow mode. The facility control system is compatible with the centralized and decentralized processing type control systems and can blow sterilized air to a room during the blow mode.
Further, the facility control unit activates a ventilator in each room when a room temperature detected by a room temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. The facility control system is compatible with the centralized and decentralized processing type control systems and can automatically ventilate a room.
Still further, there is provided a facility control system comprising control units each of which controls devices and includes: a general output section to which the devices are connected; a memory storing a plurality of control patterns for controlling the devices; and a control pattern selector for selecting any of the control patterns for controlling devices. Therefore, it is possible to add, remove or change devices connected to the general output section at a reduced cost.
The facility control system further comprises a general input section to which optional devices are connected. The control pattern selector selects any of the control patterns for first devices connected to the general output section, and the control unit controls second devices connected thereto in accordance with control patterns selected in response to signals received from the devices connected to the general input section. Therefore, it is possible to add, remove or change devices connected to the general input section at a reduced cost.